The Lowdown on Denim by Tanya Kyi

How a humble work pant got on everyone's backside and took over the world.

In The Lowdown on Denim, narrators JD and Shred take readers on a trip through the history of jeans, demonstrating that, whatever their style, jeans have always driven and reflected popular culture. They use their interest in denim to escort readers from wartime to the rodeo circuit and from environmental concerns to the rock and roll stage.

When blue jeans were invented in the 1870s, they were utilitarian -- baggy, only a single pocket and held up with suspenders.

In the 1960s, they were bell-bottomed and embroidered, symbolizing the rebellion of the Woodstock era. Punks in the '70s held them together with safety pins, while '80s metal bands wore theirs acid-washed. Then the low-riding style worn by prisoners inspired '90s hip-hop fashion. Today, denim can be as personalized as an iPod playlist.

With humorous comic-style illustrations throughout, this fun, fascinating social history will make readers think each time they pull on their jeans.

Tanya Lloyd Kyi is the author of both fiction and non-fiction books for young readers, including The Lowdown on Denim and 50 Burning Questions: A Sizzling History of Fire. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ross Kinnaird is an illustrator who has worked in London, Sydney, and Hong Kong. He currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand.